Thursday, May 29, 2014

Harvesting Rainwater & Other Money Saving Tips

"The minute you read something that you
can't understand,
you can almost be sure it was drawn up by a lawyer."
-- Will Rogers

Harvesting
Rainwater

Harvesting Rainwater and Snowmelt Is
Simple and Effective…

Part of our winter repair and fix
it projects on our mini-farm will include replacing a well bladder and
filtration system which all suffered damage from this year’s extreme
weather.Clean water (and its high cost
if through a city government utility) will increasingly become a national
problem and today’s post is a repeat of one I wrote last year…

Harvesting rainwater is sustainable and provides many
rural communities around the world with both domestic and potable water. It’s
also something that’s been practiced for over 4,000 years.

Establishing a rain (or snow) water harvesting system can improve your
self-reliance in good times and bad. It’s also a great way to cut costs and in
most cases is more affordable than drilling or digging a well. In light of
water shortages around world and a depreciating dollar, it can prove to be a
prudent long-term investment.

And in a true crisis, a gallon jug of clean water or a SUPATANK will prove
to be a fantastic barter item.

One warning: some
areas have weird laws about who “owns” the rain and snowmelt, Colorado and
Oregon being two examples. In Oregon, for instance, state law says all water
belongs to the government, and if you want “to divert or store it, you have
to acquire a water right from the state,” says Oregon Water Resources
Department administrator Tom Paul.

A Basic Rain Harvesting System That Works!

A basic system is a relatively easy and quick way to get started. The main
idea is to catch the rain as it runs off your roof and guide it into a
container. Do not use water collected from a roof for human consumption unless
you’ve sanitized it, but it’s great for watering your roses, your survival
vegetable garden, and your fruit trees.

On a 1,000 square feet roof, a rudimentary collection system can yield
about 623 gallons of water from 1 inch of rain. With this basic system and
following proper water conservation methods (i.e. fixing leaks, drip
irrigation, etc.), you could have enough water for your garden, washing your
car, water for animals, and more.

At minimum you’ll need:

§A
sloped roof;

§Rain
gutters;

§Downspout;

§A
filter to keep out or minimize debris such as leaves from clogging your system;

§A
container for the water, like a trash can or barrel (rainwater barrels run about
$100 retail, but savvy‘Preppers’ look
for discarded food barrels for a few bucks or even free);

§Secure
container cover or screen so mosquitoes don’t breed in the water;

§And a
method to get the water in the container to where you need it. A pail, a hand
or mechanical pump, or simply a gravity fed hose.

If you want to use your rainwater for drinking and cooking (and brushing
your teeth), you’ll want to add a few important steps to your system, or hire
an expert to do it for you. As you can guess, these steps involve better
filtration and purification so it’s safe to drink.

In addition to the steps above, many who use rainwater for drinking also
utilize:

§A
Pre-Wash. The idea
behind this step is to divert the first few gallons of rain water that washes off the roof
containing bird droppings, chemical residue from pollution, sediment,
etc., away from entering your water container;

§Ceramic
and Carbon Filters. High quality filters can remove inorganic chemicals and many biological dangers. Read the manufacturer’s labels for details.

§Purification. These methods
include reverse osmosis and/or Ultra Violet (UV) light to make certain even the
smallest biological threats, like viruses, are dealt with.

On-the-Go Ideas You Can Use in a Pinch…

Even if you’re not planning on using your rainwater for drinking, or if
your electricity goes down and your home water filtration system, such as the
UV light and reverse osmosis, gets knocked offline, you may want to have a few
back-ups ready:

§Take
the extra steps to keep your rain catchment system clear of debris and sediment,
and protected from mosquito infestation. Even if you only plan to use the water in your
garden, this will save you a few important steps if you run into a situation
where you need the water for survival.

§It
may be handy to own one or more
hand-held water purifiers, like the Katadyn, which is often sold for camping. You can also find gravity fed counter top
versions, such as the Big Berkey, that can purify gallons of water without
physical effort. Read the manufacturer’s labels for effectiveness
information.

Rationing:
Frugal Living Lessons from WWIILife for women on the home-front during World War II was a
challenge. The economic recessions we have had don't compare to what they had
to go through. We can learn lessons from their experiences to help us to make
it through hard times.

Compost Help

With the garden season starting, your thoughts may turn
to your compost. Call your local coffee shop to see if you can get coffee
grounds for your garden. Most are happy to give the grounds to you in the
interest of recycling.>>Toni

Where's the Beef?For many families, ground beef is a popular item on the
weekly household menu plan. With the price increase, hamburgers and recipes
that include hamburger are becoming somewhat of an indulgence. In order to
serve ground beef without breaking the budget, you may need to explore ways to
stretch a pound. Read more.